Note: Most of the world building information regarding Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Wizarding World in France (e.g. sorting) is taken from here: www. magical - hogwarts rpg ?topic=56105.0 (remove the spaces). All other information is from JK Rowling or Thomas Astruc. Also, since the students will be attending Beauxbatons, they will NOT be sorted into the Hogwarts houses, but instead into the Beauxbatons housing system.

"Marinette! Time to get up!"

"Coming Maman!"

Marinette dragged herself out of bed and stretched. She glanced at the packed suitcases and freshly pressed blue uniform at the end of her bed. She smiled to herself, a shiver of excitement running down her spine. She was going back to Beauxbatons! To another year of learning magic.

Marinette still wasn't used to being called a witch. After all, she only came from a normal family, a muggle family. Bakers at that. And while people swore their family's baking had to be made with magic it tasted so good, she never would have believed she herself was actually a magical being!

"Marinette!" More urgently this time. "You need to help in the kitchen!"

"Yes! I'm there, I'm coming!" Despite Marinette heading off to school this afternoon she was still expected to help out at the bakery. Though Marinette didn't mind. It would, after all, be the last day doing simple muggle things with her family until the next big holidays, if she decided to come back that is.

She pulled on some simple clothes and scraped her dark hair back into her signature bunches before running downstairs.

As soon as she entered to kitchens she was greeted by her Mum who was holding a large tray of bread.

"Good morning Marinette."

"Good morning Maman," she replied as she pecked her mum on the cheek and took the bread off her to place out the front.

Just as she was finishing organising the display, her dad burst from the kitchen wielding a baguette of bread, "Stupify! he yelled.

Marinette feigned a cry of pain as she crumpled to the ground, the empty tray crashing on the floor, "Ah! you got me!"

Sabine rushed out as she heard the commotion "What happened? Is everythi-" But she was met with Tom's roaring laughter and her daughter giggling on the floor.

Sabine shook her head as Tom picked up the petite girl off the floor and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, "Good morning, Marinette!"

"I've just been stupefied! I'm not off to a good start!" She laughed back.

Sabine stepped forward, "You two, you'll be the death of me, always scaring me like that."

In response, Tom just reached for her and pulled her in for a family hug.

They stayed still and content for a moment.

Tom released them both. "So Marinette," he looked down at his smiling girl, "Are you looking forward to your new year at school?"

"Yes!" The blue eyed girl grinned, clasping her hands together, "It's going to be so much fun!"

"Well don't look too happy just yet," He put on a mocking serious face, "We still have you for a few hours yet, where you'll be worked to the bone!"

"Oh Tom, stop it!" Sabine smacked her massive husband lightly on the arm as they all burst out laughing.

Duty called, though, and they all went bustling back into the kitchen in order to be ready in time for the first customers of the day.

Adrien lay in bed wide awake.

He had been awake since the first rays of sunlight had peeked through the curtains of his massive bay windows, not that he had got much sleep before then anyway. The whole night he had been tossing and turning, debating whether he should go through with his plan. His father would be angry no doubt about that, but he was fifteen for crying out loud! He wanted a normal teenage life! (Well, as normal as a teenage life could get for a wizard).

He restlessly lay in bed for another few minutes before giving up on any hope of rest and got up to open the curtains. The fresh sunlight streamed through his large windows and the beautiful view of Paris helped calm him down. However, when he turned back to look at his oversized room he noticed, not for the first time, the large striped shadows that the windows cast across his bedroom, uncannily similar to those of a prison cell. Adrien was never really fond of English but this was a metaphor if he ever saw one.

"Trapped in my own paradise," he muttered bitterly to himself.

The large room provide no response.

He sighed and looked back out the window. Birds flew against a brilliant blue sky, only disrupted by a few fluffy white clouds. Early morning goers were bustling about their business on the roads below, grabbing coffees and meeting friends. There was no denying, it was a perfect Summer's day.

He pressed his hand to the window. He wanted to, no, he was desperate to be out there, exploring the world. Both muggle and wizard, but he was separated by a thin pane of glass, and his father's overbearing protectiveness.

At the thought of his father, Adrien frowned and his resolve strengthened, 'I am going to go through with this plan!'

He checked his watch, 7am. 'Still got nine hours till the carriages leave,' he thought to himself.

He walked over to his large closet where at the back he had hidden his packed suitcase. 'Not that I had needed to,' he thought bitterly, 'it's not like anyone cares what I do in my bedroom.' Apart from the occasional knock on the door by Nathalie, no one over bothered him. Certainly not his father, he was too busy and important to care about his son's loneliness. Adrien ran his hands through his hair, he was being unfair, he knew his father loved him, that's more than some people can say. It's just hard when his love was so distant. That's why he needed to break out of here.

He checked through his luggage once more. He had prepared all Summer for this day, he could not afford for it to go wrong.

He had managed to get a hold of all the required textbooks by telling Nathalie he wanted them for extra reading.

He had managed to get the uniform as one day he happened to be doing a photo shoot on the same magic street, so during his break, he ran there to get fitted and hid them in his bag on the way home.

Other potion kits and necessities he already had from his homeschooling sessions.

The carriages left just outside Paris at 4pm.

He had a photoshoot scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon and he had already convinced Nathalie to let him walk there as it was nearby. So all he had to do was leave a window open and Accio his suitcase out to the front gate. He was underage but seeing as he lived in a household with witches and wizards, he was hoping a single Accio spell would go unnoticed by the Ministry.

Then it was just a matter of hailing a taxi and making it to the carriages before anyone noticed he had never turned up to the photo shoot.

He had even asked Chloé to save him a seat so he'd definitely have a place on one of the carriages.

Adrien put his head in his hands and groaned. So much could go wrong, and he generally didn't have great luck as it was.

'No! I can't have negative thoughts! Can't get cold feet,' He thought to himself.

"I am going to go through with this!" Saying it out loud made him feel a little stronger. He refused to even think of what would happen if the plan failed.

He shut the suitcase and got up to get ready for the day, he had to act perfectly normal after all.

Marinette sighed as she sank into a chair at their family kitchen. The bakery had been particularly busy that morning but they were closed right now for lunch.

Sabine brought out some heated leftover soup and a fresh roll of bread. They all tucked in, enjoying the food in tired silence.

Once the edge had been taken off their hunger, the conversation started to flow.

"Have you finished packing all your things, dear?" Sabine asked her daughter.

"Yes, pretty much, just need to chuck in my hairbrush and some other little things."

"Good, make sure you are ready by three o'clock at the latest. It should only take half an hour to get there, but we want to leave lots of time just in case-"

"Yes, Maman, I know, this is the fifth time we've made this trip."

Tom looked up, "Yes, but knowing you, Marinette…"

The petite girl huffed, "I'm not that-ah!"

To prove her dad's point, at that exact moment Marinette dropped her spoon back into her soup, which made it splash all over her white top, the heat caused her to jump and accidentally knocked the bread, next to her plate, off the table.

"Ugh" she groaned and she reached for a napkin to dab herself as her mum smiled and picked up the bread and her dad roared with laughter.

"Oh my darling daughter, how ever do you manage at that school without us?"

Marinette stuck her tongue out in reply.

The food tasted like ashes in Adrien's mouth.

The clock ticked loudly in the background.

His heart thudded in his chest.

He was so nervous!

He swallowed and forced another mouthful of food into his mouth. He didn't want it now but knew he'd need the energy later.

He glanced at the clock, 12:30. He had two and a half hours till he was going to make his move. He went through the plan in his head for what felt like the millionth time.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the heels clicking on the marble floor heading towards him.

"Adrien,"

He jumped. He looked up and sighed when he saw it was only Nathalie.

Nathalie blinked, "Are you quite alright, Adrien? You seem a bit jumpy."

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, I was just lost in my thoughts, didn't hear you is all…" he trailed off

"I see, well, your father has asked me to remind you that you have a photo shoot this afternoon at 3:30pm. It is quite an important one so don't be late.

"Yes, I won't forget. But is it still alright if I can walk? It's such nice weather and I don't get out much..."

Nathalie's face softened ever so slightly to show a hint of pity. "Yes, that is still alright." She hesitated a moment, "Though I haven't actually asked your father's permission, so make sure he doesn't find out."

Adrien's eyes widened in happiness, "Thank you, Nathalie! Really, thanks!"

She smiled ever so slightly, "Just don't be late!" she turned and walked back out the door to attend to her other duties.

Adrien felt a little guilty abusing her like that, using the small kindness she showed her to run away from it all. However, the guilt failed to wipe the smile from his face. He was going to do it. He was going to run away!

It was 2:30. Marinette's bags were packed in the car. She swept through her room one last time, chucked her wand and phone into her backpack, and headed downstairs just as her mum called her to come down.

"Coming!" she yelled in reply.

When she got downstairs her father handed her a box filled with meticulously crafted macarons.

"To share with your friends on the carriage."

"Wow, thanks, Papa! You didn't have to!"

"No, but I wanted to."

Marinette hugged her parents and took the box from her dad.

"I'm sure everyone will love these! Well at least, they have done in the past!"

Sabine smiled, "Let's get going then. Do you have everything?"

"Yes!"

Adrien sat on his bed twiddling his thumbs. He had already tried to waste time by reading manga and playing with all the gadgets in his room, but nothing failed to distract him. Eventually, he gave up and just sat on his bed, watching the clock.

2:45

Adrien jumped up and paced the room.

2:50

He doubled checked the windows were open, grabbed his suitcase from the closet, and dragged it into a position where it would be easy to summon.

2:55

One last sweep of the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

3:00

Go time! He picked up his wand and phone from the bedside table and placed them in his backpack.

He walked out the room, heart thumping in his chest as he tried to look casual. He bumped into Nathalie in the foyer, "I'm off now, Nathalie!"

The severe woman didn't look up from her clipboard, "Stay safe, stick to main roads, and don't be late!"

Adrien nodded, before a thought struck him, "Oh! And the Gorilla? Have you told..?"

"Yes, he's off doing other errands for your father."

So he wouldn't be loitering out the front. That was a relief.

He waved a goodbye at Nathalie who smiled briefly.

He confidently walked out the large front door and paused before opening the gate. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking and gave it a minute just to be sure Nathalie wasn't going to run out and stop him. When all was clear he took a deep breath and pulled out his wand.

"Accio," He whispered, pointing the wand to his room.

There was a moment where nothing happened and Adrien's stomach dropped as he thought it had failed, but he breathed again when his suitcase appeared around the corner and dropped right by him.

Another flash of panic suddenly swept through Adrien, what if one of the staff had seen the large suitcase flying past a window? The blond haired boy shook his head, no time to worry about that. He shoved his wand back into his bag before running out the gate and down the street, away from the imposing house. As soon as he saw a taxi he hailed it down and jumped in.

"Where to, kid?"

"Oh umm, I er, I'd like to go to Bois de Boulogne." Adrien was obviously flustered. Although the driver had already pulled out and was driving, the wide-eyed boy couldn't help but look out the back window to make sure no one was following him, either Nathalie, the Ministry, or, even worse, his father.

"With a suitcase like that?" The driver smiled.

"What?" Adrien turned back, "Oh I, umm, I'm staying with a friend, she lives near the park," he lied.

That reminded him, he needed to tell Chloé that he'd left. Adrien pulled out his phone, hers was the only name that came up.

A: Hey Chloé! I did it! I'm in the taxi right now, should be at the park in 15 minutes. Where should I meet you?

The reply was almost instant.

C: Adrikins! I knew you could do it! Meet me outside the Chateau de Bagatelle 3

A: Thanks, Chloé, you're the best!

C: I know! Haha

Adrien smiled as he dropped his phone back into his bag.

Marinette hummed a happy little tune and enjoyed the fresh breeze flowing through her hair as she and her parents walked through the Bois de Boulogne, a beautiful park on the outskirts of Paris.

She smiled as she took in the city for the last time before heading down south. Memories from first year all came flooding back as they strolled through the afternoon sunlight together. The nervousness, the insecurity, but most of all, the excitement. All she was feeling again now, but at least she knew what to expect.

They eventually reached the gorgeous Chateau and headed to the secret side door. She saw Chloé waiting outside and cringed. Thankfully the bossy blonde was too busy on her phone to notice Marinette.

They walked through the little door. She didn't even bother to ask her parents to leave her here and go back home, she wasn't going to deny them this small glimpse of the world she lived in for the majority of the year. Even Marinette never failed to be amazed at the sheer scale of the hidden room and garden. Not to mention the whole chaos of magic going on as parents hurried their kids to get onto the carriages.

After a bit of waving about, Marinette managed to get the attention of a bored looking check in girl, her brown fringe partially covering her eyes.

"Name and year?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Fifth-year!"

The girl ran her pen down the list and nodded once she found the black-haired girl's name. "Recurring student, Carriage Five." She looked up as Marinette nodded. "Remember, place your luggage outside the carriage, it will be taken to your room for you."

"Thanks!" Marinette said, and the girl turned away to deal with other students.

Marinette's parents walked her up to the carriage and gave her a big hug once her luggage had been placed to the side.

"Have a wonderful year, dear," said Sabine.

Tom smiled "We will see you at Christmas hopefully!"

"Yes, probably!" The big blue-eyed girl looked up at her parents, "Thanks for everything!" She stepped up onto the carriage, "Oh, and thanks for the macarons."

"You're welcome darling," her parents waved. Marinette smiled at them standing together at the foot of the carriage. She gave one last little wave before turning and heading in through the carriage doors. She swallowed as nerves started to overtake her again.

"Hey, Marinette! Long time no see!"

The nerves vanished as Marinette looked up to see a familiar face, a boy with black glasses and a red cap, who was in the process of taking off his headphones as he waved her over to the corner he was sat in.

Marinette grinned and bounced over, "Yeah it's been a while!" she sat down next to her friend as Marinette gave him a macaron and they eased into a simple conversation about their summer holidays.

After what felt like the longest drive of his life, Adrien's taxi eventually reached the park. As soon as they arrived he jumped out with a "Thanks," and tipped probably a bit too much for a normal 15-year-old, 'but then I'm not normal,' he reminded himself. He glanced at his watch, 3:25. He breathed, still got plenty of time. He headed off in the direction of the Chateau, probably walking a bit faster than was necessary. He didn't fail to notice the slightly odd looks he was getting from the local Parisians and tourists alike due to his large suitcase, but they were the last thing on his mind. Besides, he noticed after a bit that he wasn't the only one with a suitcase. In fact, there were whole families with all sorts of strange luggage heading in the same direction he was. He realised with a thrill of excitement that they were of the wizarding community too! Adrien grinned, his nerves shoved aside as excitement thrummed through him.

Quicker than he expected, the Chateau de Bagatelle appeared in front of him. As soon as his childhood friend spotted him she came running over.

"Adrien!" Chloe leapt onto him, kissing him on the cheek.

Adrien laughed and hugged her back, for once not minding her dramatics and over the top affection.

"Thanks so much for helping me out," his voice was sincere.

"Oh Adrien, it's not a problem. You know I'd do anything for you. Now come along, the entrance is this way." She briskly walked off, blonde ponytail swinging behind her. She didn't even look back, just expecting Adrien to follow, which of course he did.

She led him round the side of the Chateau, to a little door which she opened and ushered him through. Adrien's eyes widened as he walked into what must be an extra hidden room. It was huge! He didn't know where to look! The ceiling was domed, and the marble intricately carved. People were everywhere. Students, some already changed into their robes, were wondering around with luggage. Parents were performing last minute spells to fix and sort things for their children. There were also younger siblings saying teary goodbyes to their older brothers and sisters, and even magical pets scattered all over the place. Despite being a wizard from birth, he had never seen so much magic in one place, and such chaos.

Adrien loved it.

He snapped out of his gazing when Chloé yanked his arm, "Let's go check you in."

Adrien paled, "Check in? But I never told the school I was coming! I just going to turn up and hope…"

"Oh relax, as soon as you told me you were serious about coming this year, I got Daddy to pull some strings, behind your father's back, obviously."

Adrien smiled at his bossy, spoilt friend. She could be good when she wanted to be.

Chloé looked back at him, "What are you looking at? Let's go!"

"Ah ok!" he let himself be pulled away.

"Excuse me!" Chloé shrilled, "My friend wants to check in."

A check in girl, with a fringe that was too long in Adrien's opinion, turned around impatiently, "Name and year?"

Chloé poked Adrien with her elbow, "Oh! Er, Adrien. Adrien Agreste. Fifth-year."

The girl nodded, "Mr Agreste, you'll be in Carriage Five with the other Fifth-years."

It was only then that Adrien noticed the row of french doors at the side, and beyond, a sprawling lawn on which stood giant horses and even bigger carriages. Merlin, they were as big as small houses!

Adrien jumped as he received another shove in the ribs. He looked at the check in girl, realising that she had just asked him a question and he had completely missed it.

"Umm sorry, what did you say?" He grinned sheepishly

"I said, is this your first year at Beauxbatons?"

"Oh yes, yes it is…Is that a problem?"

The girl shook her head, "Not at all, we always have a few new students, not in First-year. Just remember, when you arrive at the school you need to follow along with the First-years, not your fellow Fifth-years, as you need to be sorted. But your Carriage Supervisor will remind you of all that." Adrien nodded in understanding. "Also, don't forget to please place your suitcase outside the Fifth carriage. It will be loaded and taken up to your room for you."

"Alright, thanks!"

Once again he allowed Chloé to pull him away. He grinned as he listened to her babbling as he continued to take in the sights. "You'll be sitting next to me the whole way, so don't worry. Oh and Sabrina is already on the carriage saving us seats. This is going to be so much fun! Having you here, just you wait until we get to school…"

He let her words drift over him as she led him up to the carriage. He couldn't wait to meet his fellow Fifth years and make some new friends.

He tried to compose his grin as he entered the carriage and greeted Sabrina. He sat down next to his childhood friend and glanced around at his future classmates.

He had done it.

He had broken free.

He was finally on his way to Beauxbatons!